Barcelona
I just returned from Barcelona. It was a great time. I intended to stay for 3-4 days and ended up staying 12. Kenny was in the middle of leading a 24-7 prayer missions team there and I went thinking that I would just trail him around a bit and then leave when I got bored. Little did I know that I would enjoy my time there so much, neither did I expect David to be as entertained as he ended up being. In part I enjoyed trailing kenny around, but I suspect that if that was all I had done I would have indeed left after a mere couple of days. However, Kenny's team was in a sort of disarray based on exhaustion and a lack of enthusiasm and vision. So I ended up being put to work or putting myself to work with odds and ends that needed to be done (such as cooking, or helping with the cleaning, etc). This led me to want to stay even longer, because every time I did something I ended up working with someone I did not know very well. Of course, that meant that then I actually met them and liked them. Once you meet someone you like, you want to know them more; therefore, my time kept getting drawn out more and more.
Among the people I enjoyed were:
-The "Resistentes" from Bilbao, who I liked (how can you dislike a bunch of 20 year olds that have pissed off half the pastors in Spain with their simple enthusiasm?).
-Ana Carolina: It was great to spend time with a person I knew in Kings Kids when she was 12 and then 14. She has changed and matured into "una tia genial," and I hope that we will keep in touch even more than we have in the past. I found her to be full of wisdom beyond that which most 19 year old girls are usually given.
-The Whalers: There were 3 people from Wales working with us. They were all amazing people, and I hope I see them again soon. I found Dan to be a very fun and wise guy with whom I wish I had spent more time in conversation. Kath and Beth were great, because they thought my jokes were hilarious. I must say, I need to go to Wales if every welsh person is going to find me this funny. However, they were not just fun to be with, but I found them to be full of depth. I enjoyed several good conversations with Beth.
I dont even have to say that I enjoyed Kenny because I always do. He keeps me on my toes, and tells me when I am being a friggin' idiot (he is forced to say that a lot...). Sometiemes you forget how much someone means to you when you stop spending time with them, then when you are able to do so, you are reminded how much you depend on their friendship.
Actually I also forgot how much Spain meant to me. Everytime I came back here it was for a couple of weeks, and that was never long enough to get back into it. I would always come back just long enough to feel culture shock and try to adapt after a year of being in the US. Ahh, but this summer, and its 3 long months that I have been able to spend here have confirmed in my mind that I am truly "the spaniard" and that I would be happy living here. I love this place. I dont know what the future holds for me, but I really really really hope I come back here to live. I dont know where in Spain though... madrid? Who knows.
Barcelona is a really cool city, though I am still pretty sure that I would rather live in Madrid. I must say that having the beach a couple of train stops from your house is a definite plus. The city is also prettier and more cosmopolitan than my beautiful Madrid. However, it is also dingier and has more crime. It feels more packed and rushed than madrid. Barcelona is "artsier" in terms of monuments and architecture, however we must not forget that madrid has more museums and theatres than its catalan cousin. As much as Ana Carolina tried to convince me that catalan independence is the way to go, I'm not buying it... I would first buy Basque independence than Catalan... whatever... I am rambling again...
Among the people I enjoyed were:
-The "Resistentes" from Bilbao, who I liked (how can you dislike a bunch of 20 year olds that have pissed off half the pastors in Spain with their simple enthusiasm?).
-Ana Carolina: It was great to spend time with a person I knew in Kings Kids when she was 12 and then 14. She has changed and matured into "una tia genial," and I hope that we will keep in touch even more than we have in the past. I found her to be full of wisdom beyond that which most 19 year old girls are usually given.
-The Whalers: There were 3 people from Wales working with us. They were all amazing people, and I hope I see them again soon. I found Dan to be a very fun and wise guy with whom I wish I had spent more time in conversation. Kath and Beth were great, because they thought my jokes were hilarious. I must say, I need to go to Wales if every welsh person is going to find me this funny. However, they were not just fun to be with, but I found them to be full of depth. I enjoyed several good conversations with Beth.
I dont even have to say that I enjoyed Kenny because I always do. He keeps me on my toes, and tells me when I am being a friggin' idiot (he is forced to say that a lot...). Sometiemes you forget how much someone means to you when you stop spending time with them, then when you are able to do so, you are reminded how much you depend on their friendship.
Actually I also forgot how much Spain meant to me. Everytime I came back here it was for a couple of weeks, and that was never long enough to get back into it. I would always come back just long enough to feel culture shock and try to adapt after a year of being in the US. Ahh, but this summer, and its 3 long months that I have been able to spend here have confirmed in my mind that I am truly "the spaniard" and that I would be happy living here. I love this place. I dont know what the future holds for me, but I really really really hope I come back here to live. I dont know where in Spain though... madrid? Who knows.
Barcelona is a really cool city, though I am still pretty sure that I would rather live in Madrid. I must say that having the beach a couple of train stops from your house is a definite plus. The city is also prettier and more cosmopolitan than my beautiful Madrid. However, it is also dingier and has more crime. It feels more packed and rushed than madrid. Barcelona is "artsier" in terms of monuments and architecture, however we must not forget that madrid has more museums and theatres than its catalan cousin. As much as Ana Carolina tried to convince me that catalan independence is the way to go, I'm not buying it... I would first buy Basque independence than Catalan... whatever... I am rambling again...
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